Boring Books for Bedtime Readings to Help You Sleep The ABC of Relativity, by Bertrand Russell, Part 2
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Nov 7, 2022 AI Snips
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Light's Universal Constant Speed
- Astronomical observations showed light travels at a definite, constant speed about 300,000 km/s in vacuum.
- This uniform velocity underpins wave theories and underlies wireless, X-rays, and possibly gravity propagation.
The Null Result That Stumped Physics
- Michelson and Morley split light along perpendicular paths and expected differences due to an ether wind.
- Their precise repeated experiments found no detectable difference, surprising physicists of the time.
Contraction As Measurement Convention
- Fitzgerald proposed length contraction to save the ether idea, shortening bodies along motion to hide expected effects.
- Einstein later showed such contraction is not a physical squeeze but a consequence of measurement conventions in relativity.